Sacramento

Legislative Affairs Committee of West Orange County -- Legislative Updates as of September 1, 2017

LEGISLATURE

After the change in the Assembly Republican Leadershiplast week, changes were made this week in legislative committees. 19 of the 32 Assemblystanding committees were shaken up as Republican members allied with the newleader were given better assignments.

Today, the Assembly and Senate AppropriationsCommittees met to announce the results of the Suspense File. Any bill witha fiscal impact greater than $150,000 is placed on Suspense. The billsthat pass the Suspense File must clear the Senate/Assembly floor by September15th to meet the legislative deadline. Bills that are “held”are effectively dead for the year.

Here are several Suspense File bills that were heardin the Assembly Appropriations Committee:

SB 393 (Lara) – This bill would create a process for a person to petition to have his or her records sealed when he or she is arrested, but certain conditions are met.

Status:Passed.

SB 623 (Monning) – This bill would create the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund.

Status: Held in committee to allow for more discussion this fall.

SB 796 (Hill) – This bill would implement recommendations that emerged from legislative review of the Respiratory Care Board and the Naturopathic Medicine Committee.

Status: Passed.

Senate Appropriations Committee Suspense File:

AB 1120 (Cooper) – This bill would require butane sold in canisters over 150 ml to be odorized or be subject to recordkeeping by the retailer. Lighters would be excluded from the measure.

Status: Passed.

AB 1250 (Jones-Sawyer) – This bill would establish various standards for the use of personal services contracts by counties.

Status: Referred to Rules Committee for further discussion.

AB 1513 (Kalra) – This SEIU bill would require the Department of Social Services to release the home addresses, as well as the home and cell numbers of care workers, who are registered with the State.

INTERESTING BUT IRRELEVANT

Building up a wall—President Trump’s plans for aborder wall continue to gain momentum. The Department of Homeland Security announcedon Thursday that it had selected four vendors to build prototypes of theirproposed concrete walls in the San Diego area. Up to four selected proposalsfor alternative building materials will be announced later. What has not beenresolved is who will foot the bill for the project. This week’s Departmentof Homeland Security announcement came on the heels of President Trump’s tweetlast weekend that declared: “With Mexico being one of the highest crime Nationsin the world, we must have THE WALL. Mexico will pay for it throughreimbursement/other." According to CNN,Mexico’s foreign ministry released a response statement saying Mexico would notpay for a wall or other physical barrier at the border "under anycircumstances… This determination is not part of a Mexican negotiatingstrategy, but a principle of national sovereignty and dignity."